A HOAX caller is facing jail after admitting making a wave of emergency calls that sent armed cops and helicopters to his OWN home, costing the taxpayer £30,000.

Disturbed Daniel Heaps, 23, made an astonishing 86 false reports to police, fire and ambulance services over the course of a year.

On one occasion he claimed armed gunmen were at his family’s home in Chamberlain Walk, Smethwick.

But when an armed response team from West Midlands Police rushed to the house, backed up by a force helicopter above, they found Heaps’ relatives scratching their heads at all the fuss.

The family, including Heaps’ mother Bridget, complained they had been the target of a string of hoax calls that had seen every emergency crew imaginable arrive at their front door.

In a series of hoaxes West Midlands Police say cost the emergency services £30,000, Heaps repeatedly rang 999 to report dozens of fake crimes. Each time the emergency services had to treat the calls seriously, despatching teams to his home. As well as armed response teams, police helicopters and police dog teams, crews were also sent out from West Midlands Fire Brigade and West Midlands Ambulance Service.

But last week the joke was finally on Heaps. He was convicted of causing a public nuisance at a hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday, and will be sentenced next month.

Detection

The court heard that he made the 86 calls between 2006 and 2007. He evaded detection for so long by disguising his voice and using no fewer than 14 different mobile phones.

He was initially questioned by police but feigned ignorance. It took months of painstaking policework to finally snare the sick hoaxer. A voice recognition expert was brought in to analyse all the calls.

Heaps, who still lives with his family, now at Queens Avenue, Tividale, has a history of making a nuisance of himself.

In June 2008 he pleaded guilty to using threatening or abusive words or behaviour and received a community rehabilitation order for two years, with 12 months supervision. He was also ordered to carry out 80 hours unpaid work and attended a Think First course.

“We are prepared to use an array of sophisticated techniques to trace bogus callers. Making fake 999 calls is a criminal offence and could result in a fine, criminal record or prison. All calls to the emergency services are recorded and we can always trace the number.

“The bottom line is stark. People who make these calls could be putting the safety of someone they care about at grave risk.”